Former Avs Hejduk set to announce retirement

The Sports Xchange

The SportsXchange•November 13, 2013

Former Colorado Avalanche right winger Milan Hejduk plans to officially announce his retirement in the near future. The 37-year-old Hejduk told iSport, a Czech publication, that he has known for a while that he is not returning to the ice but held off on going public with the news at his agent's request. Hejduk would have preferred to end his career with a winning season, but the Avalanche finished with the second-worst record in the NHL in 2013. "The ideal would be the end to win the Stanley Cup," Hejduk said, according to iSport. "Last year I played, I was too old. My God. Sometimes I had to stop. But absolutely nothing I miss." Hejduk played in 29 games in the lockout-shortened 2013 season and totaled four goals and seven assists. He joined the Avs in the 1998-99 season and his career highlights include a league-leading 50 goals in 2002-03. In 1,020 career games, the three-time NHL All-Star produced 375 goals and 430 assists. He also helped lead the Avalanche to the Stanley Cup title in 2001.